Comingsoon.net is taking a look at some of the cheesiest death scenes in cinema. Check out our picks in the galley below!
The hardest thing for an actor to portray on screen is genuine emotion. An even harder thing to act out is a death scene; performers oftentimes find themselves flirting with the fine line between what is riveting and what is cheesy. As they take their last breath, close their eyes (or leave them open), things can go south fast, and not just for the character.
In order to avoid the proverbial cheese, many actors make the mistake of overacting (or underacting); they give their all in the hopes that effort will be enough. Unfortunately, it takes an indefinite amount of tact to die gracefully on screen. Here are some characters who tried their best to go out dignified death scenes, but ended up making us roll our eyes.
7 of The Cheesiest Death Scenes
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Tracy Mills, Seven (1995)
To be fair, Gwyneth Paltrow is not at fault for this scene's cheese element; her character isn't even seen on screen. Brad Pitt's acting isn't necessarily bad, but there's something about it that has made "what's in the box?!" the punchline of many jokes.
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Mary Corleone, The Godfather Part III (1990)
Sofia Coppola hasn't received rave reviews for her portrayal of Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III. The dichotomy between the acting chops of Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Sofia Coppola is very apparent in MAry's death scene.
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Taila al Ghul, The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Even the best performers make mistakes; Marion Cotillard had recently given birth when filming The Dark Knight Rises and does a stellar job. The uncharacteristic cheesy death (too many exhales?) is made even more noticeable within the context of an otherwise great performance.
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Johnny, The Room (2003)
Arguably the worst death scene in the worst movie ever made. Tommy Wiseau actually lies back before the gun is even fired; it's no wonder this film has a cult following for being hilariously bad.
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Boba Fett, Return of the Jedi (1983)
Boba Fett is a well-recognized name in the Star Wars universe. The character deserved a dignified send-off, what he got was a whimsical plummet into a Sarlacc pit (courtesy of lackluster jab from Han Solo).
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Edward Malus, The Wicker Man (2006)
"Not the Bees!"
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Norman Osborn, Spider-Man (2002)
William Dafoe was a great Green Goblin...up until an abrupt, inconsistent, and corny death scene. "Don't tell Harry," then immediately drops and dies.
